Rail-joint.



No. 802.991.. PATBNTED OCT. 3l, 1905.

G. T. JOSEPH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.18. 1905.

/ll Hill Illl @M7/Mmm; f/VmH (7607?6 7566/071 @vw l @y M GEORGE THOMAS JOSEPH, OF COVINGTON, VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application tied February 18, 1905. Serial No. 246,223.

T0 al! whom t may concern:

Be it known that I GEORGE THOMAS JOSEPH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Covington, in the county of Alleghany and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in railjoints; and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a perspective View of a joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on about line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective View of the connecting-bar. Fig. 5 is a detail bottom plan view of one of the rail ends, and Fig. 6 is a detail inverted perspective view of one of the rail ends.

The meeting ends of the rails A A may be alike, and these rails may be alike at their opposite ends, so they may be turned end for end whenever desired, especially when a rail has been worn on one side and it is desired to reverse it in order to bring the other side into wearing' position.

In connecting the meeting ends of the rails I employ a connecting-bar B, having a base B' and an upright web B2. The base B is in the form of a double dovetail and may be of extreme width at the ends b of the base and taper thence gradually to a point b2 midway between the ends of the connecting-bar. This connecting-bar is also symmetrical and alike at both ends, so it may be turned end for end whenever desired. The base B of the connecting-bar Operates to connect the meeting ends of the rails, and the web B2, extending upwardly into the web of the. rails, tends to steady the connecting-bar of the base and also provides the portion which is exposed to View by the lateral openings in the ends of the rails, as will be presently described.

The rails A are formed with the base-plates A, the webs A2, and the treads A3. The base A of the rails is notched at c at its ends.l so that the coinciding notches c may receive a spike C (see Fig. l of drawings) in order to limit the creeping movement of the rails as desired. In its base each rail is provided at its ends with a tapered recess D gradually widening from the end Z of the rail toward the inner or opposite end d of the recess. This recess D is fitted to receive one of the dovetail sections of the connecting-bar B, and an upright groove or recess E extends upwardly above the recess D and communicates therewith, as will be understood from Figs. 3, 5, and 6 of the drawings, a squared shoulder Z2 forming the top wall of the recess D throughout the major portion of length of said recess on opposite sides of the groove E, as best shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6 of the drawings. The groove E extends upwardly within the web A2 of the rail and receives the web B2 of the connecting-bar, as shown in Fig. 3.

The rails A are provided in the ends of their webs A2 with slots or openings o2, which communicate with the groove E in the web of the rail and expose to view the middle portion of the web B2 of the connecting-bar B when the parts are applied as shown in Fig. 1. This is important, as it enables the trackwalker to determine by a glance whether the connecting-bar is fractured or the integrity of the connection has not been disturbed.

In practice I make the tapered recesses D somewhat larger than the dovetail-sections B of the base of the connecting-bar, so that a limited longitudinal movement of the rails is permitted for expansion and contraction in use.

It will be understood from Figs. 4, 5, and 6 that the recesses and upright grooves in the bases and webs of the rails conform to the connecting bar B and that the upright grooves E are of a width approximately equal to that of the small ends of the tapered recesses D and that the web B is of a thickness approximately equal to the width of the dovetail base portions B at the smaller end of the latter where they unite about midway between the endsof the connecting-bar, as best shown in Fig. I of the drawings.

The upright web B2 is important, as it braces and steadies the dovetail base portions B in place and tends to prevent any twisting thereof in the use of the invention.

It may be desired in practice to arrange the joint of the rails over a tie, as shown in Fig. 2; but it will be understood that this is not necessary,as ordinarily the connecting-bar is of sufficient length to bridge the space between any two ties and will form a iirm support for the ends of the rails in all positions of the parts.

The construction is simple, easily applied,

and forms a secure connection between the (meeting ends of the rails.

IOO

IIO

claim` as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination substantially as herein described of the rails provided in the ends of their base-plates at their outer edges with notches for a spike and having in the under sides of their bases tapered recesses which eX- tend from and gradually Widen from the ends of the rails, the upright grooves formed in the webs of the rails and extending longitudinally above and communicating at their lower ends with the tapered recesses in the rails,

` slots being formed in the ends of the rails and communicating with the said upright recesses and a connecting-bar having a double dovetail, or tapered base portion fitting the tapei-ed recesses in the base of the rails and also provided With an upright longitudinally-eX- tending Web which iits within the grooves of the rail and is exposed to view through the lateral openings formed in the Webs of the rails, all substantially as and for the purpose' having dovetail base portions fitting inlsaid tapered recesses, and an upright web tting in the upright grooves of the rails, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the connecting-bar having the dovetail base portions and the upright web, and the rail ends provided in the under sides of their base portions with recesses and grooves to receive the said connecting-bar, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the rails provided with the tapered recesses in the under faces of their base portions, and With upright grooves communicating With said recesses, and the connecting-bar having base portions and an upright web fitted to the said rail ends, substantially as set forth.

6. In a rail-joint a connecting-bar havinga double tapered dovetail base increasing in Width from a middle point toward its ends and an upright Web thereon, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE THOMAS JOSEPH.

Witnesses:

J. O. JOSEPH, J. B. JOSEPH. 

